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A GLOSSARY FOR THE STUDENTS 

OP THE 

STANLEY V. MASTBAUM COURSE 
OF PHOTOPLAY STUDY 
AND SCENARIO WRITING 

AT 

TEMPLE UNIVERSITY 
AND THE COURSE 

AT 

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY 

BY 

HARRY D. WESCOTT 
Director op Studies 


COPYRIGHT, 1921 BY 
HARRY D. WESCOTT 







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SEP 22 1921 

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I admit that some of these definitions can 
be found fault with, and expect them to be. 
The only purpose they are to serve is to help 
the student grasp the nomenclature of a daily 
changing but growing industry and art. The 
additional pages are inserted so that the stu¬ 
dent may make corrections, add new terms, 
and for such other notations as desired. 

Let me suggest that when you see a 
photoplay wherein these definitions are exem¬ 
plified that you set down on the blank page 
opposite the word the name of the play, as 
well as a few words, to refresh your memory 
concerning their application. 

Harry D. Wescott. 




































































































































































































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ACT: This word is seldom used in the photoplay. 
Some companies use it to designate one reel or a 
thousand feet. It is sometimes used by actors 
freshly imported from the spoken stage to indicate 
some specialty, as an animal act, a trapeze act, a 
legerdemain act. 

ACTION: This term has a two-fold meaning, the first 
is where it applies to the actor, then it designates 
the actor’s movements to portray his part—the 
second is applied to the movement of the play and 
may be defined as the series of situations, as devel¬ 
oped by the director, which advance the plot to its 
ultimate climax. 

ACTION OF THE PLOT: This is usually a written . 
description of the action of a play, which is more 
properly called the continuity, wherein the scenes, 
camera instructions and titles are consecutively set 
forth. Usually all are numbered consecutively. 

ACTION—THE RUN OF: This may be defined as a 
closely related series of rapid actions or happen¬ 
ings developing a certain phase or' situation. See 
Situation. 

ADAPTATION: This is the reforming or rearrang- 
- ing of a given subject, such as a stage play or 
novel, into photoplay form. 

ADVANCE: This term is frequently used to denote 
development or movement of the whole play to¬ 
ward the climax. 


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ALLEGORY: This term is of quite recent adoption 
in the photoplay nomenclature due to the develop¬ 
ment of the art, and has the same significance as 
applied to the term in general use. It is where 
something is suggested by figurative means and 
not expressly stated. In other words, it is the 
employment of an artistic conception apart from 
the type of action itself, used to suggest the 
thoughts, the dreams, the imagination, or the 
hopes that the actors have. A very prosaic conflict 
may be going on between the hero and heroine 
when there may be introduced a lot of fairies, 
angels, and hobgoblins to indicate their mental 
process. Some typical examples are in “Forbid¬ 
den Fruit”, where the story of “Cinderella” is 
used to show what the heroine dreams of in her 
predicament. In the “Kid” where Charlie Chap¬ 
lin has been rendered insensible by the policeman’s 
club, he dreams that he and the other characters 
are floating through the air with huge wings. An¬ 
other Chaplin illustration is in a play where he 
falls off a bridge, and is made unconscious. While 
in that temporary state, fairies dance above him 
in Grecian costumes, indicating that while he is in 
the state his mind is full of the imagery of classic 
dancing and song. Another instance can be found 
in Mr. Whitman Bennett’s production of the 
“Devil’s Pool” where the protagonist looks 
through the park gate at the pool and seems to see 
witches fantastically dancing about it. 

ARRANGEMENT: A term of infrequent usage, but 
where it is found it generally applies to the con¬ 
struction of sets, and things placed in the sets for 
the convenience of directing the action and the 

















































































































































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scenes which are to be shot in that set. Also the 
arrangement of sets on the studio floor. 

ASSEMBLE: The getting together or bringing to¬ 
gether of the scenery and properties to make up 
the set. It is also sometimes applied to getting 
the actors together ready for their work. 

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: He literally does every¬ 
thing the director tells him to do, which may be 
rehearsing certain minor situations, selecting loca¬ 
tions, running around the country gathering up 
“props”, attending to costumes, supervising make 
up, holding the script for the director, or even 
shutting the window where a draft is blowing on 
the director’s head. 

ANGLE SHOT: This term has two meanings; first, 
it is used to indicate the placing of the camera in 
another position in the same action to get another 
view of it; secondly, the camera is moved to such 
a position as to give the impression that the actor is 
looking at the thing which is being photographed. 
The audience sees what the actor is looking at. 

ANTAGONIST: The actor whose business it is to 
foil the protagonist or hero. He is generally 
called the villain. 

ANTI-CLIMAX: Anything which destroys the force 
of the climax, also anything which acts against the 
strength of a situation within the play. 

ANTICIPATION: A part of the action which sug¬ 
gests something which is to follow. It is similar 
to forecasting. It is the creation of a situation 
where the audience may logically expect that to 


6 


happen which does happen. They are disap¬ 
pointed if it does not happen. 

APPARITION: The sudden appearance of a ghost¬ 
like figure in the action. It is obtained by double 
exposure, which will be described later. 

APPEAL: This is a stock phrase usually found in 
press notices and advertisements and refers to the 
power of the photoplay to appeal to the emotions 
of the audience through human interest, heart 
interest, etc., which wall be described later. 

ATMOSPHERE: The environment of the action, the 
stage settings,—the scenery,—to establish fidelity 
of the action. That is to say, if the hero is a rich 
man, and is shown in his home, the hangings, fur¬ 
niture, and everything must denote wealth. If the 
hero is a hanker, his office must be built to portray 
a banker’s office, and not a blacksmith’s shop. If 
our heroine is a frivolous little thing, the scenery, 
properties, costumes, and all else must give forth 
the spirit of frivolity. 

ATTENTION: ‘ ‘ The power to keep an audience 
quiet for an hour and a half.”— Patterson. Is the 
quality to hold the interest of the audience 
throughout the entire play, and complete attention 
is had only when the audience does not have the 
opportunity to ask questions of itself as to what 
such and such a thing means, why such and such a 
thing was done, what happened during the six 
years they remained on the island alone, etc. In 
other words, the best attention is had in adherence 
to the unities of time, place and action as much as 
possible. 







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BACKING-: Scenery seen through a door, window, or 
arch in the set in which the action is taking place. 
It is usually printed upon canvas stretched upon a 
large frame. • In many instances it is made of 
hoarding. It also is often carefully built to repre¬ 
sent substantial structures. 

BACKGROUND: In an interior set it is that por¬ 
tion which is furthest from the camera. In an 
exterior it is nature’s own scenery selected to suit 
the picture which is being taken, its action and 
atmosphere. 

BATHOS: In the photoplay it is the futile attempt 
to attain pathos, and the action becomes really 
ludicrous. It is the descent from the elevated to 
the commonplace. It has its successful purpose in 
the typical Chaplin slap-stick play. 

BREAKAWAY: Is a set or scenery so constructed 
that at the proper moment all, or a part of it, may 
be demolished to obtain the effect of destruction. 
It is used in explosions, war scenes, and catas¬ 
trophes generally. Its most frequent use is in 
slap-stick comedy, where the automobile will go 
through the brick wall unharmed, and even human 
beings do likewise. 

BREAK-SCENE: Where the action of one scene is 
too long, and has the tendency to beeome monoto¬ 
nous, a scene related to the general theme is some¬ 
times put in. The term is also used where an 
objectionable part in the scene is deleted. This is 
usually done after the film has been printed, and 
in the opinion of the producer, a part of the scene 
may be eliminated, for the purpose of getting a 
better effect. The Board of Censors has nothing 
to do with the break-scenes. 


BRIEF SYNOPSIS: A compendious description of 
a photoplay, giving in the fewest possible words 
the nature of the plot, and the characters who 
work it out, written in the present tense, and nar¬ 
rative form. It also furnishes material for adver¬ 
tising a play. The number of words varies, but 
generally reaches about five hundred. 

BUSINESS: This term is borrowed from the spoken 
stage, and means the particular and peculiar 
things which the actors do in portraying the de¬ 
tails in the action construction, and usually merely 
suggests what the actor is to work out for himself. 
For example: David enters the bam, business of 
milking cow. This permits David to milk the cow 
in such a fashion as to develop the harmony of the 
whole scene. If there is an element of sadness in 
the action, he would milk the cow to preserve the 
atmosphere of sadness. If the atmosphere were 
comedy, he would milk the cow in some ludicrous 
way to sustain the comedy. In other words, the 
action portraying the business is left largely to the 
judgment and skill of the actor. 

BUST: A closer view of an inanimate object in a 
scene magnified for the purpose of giving it em¬ 
phasis. It is distinguished from a close-up in that 
the latter is a magnified action picture to portray 
the emotion as will more fully appear when we 
define the word “close-up.” 

BY-PLAY: It is the business of the player in the 
scene, which develops more fully characterization, 
and what might be called the sidelights or filling 
in of the picture. 




















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CARPENTER: The man who builds the scenery for 
the set. 

CAPTION: This word was in use in the early develop¬ 
ment of writing to indicate the written description 
of the theme of the play. It is now practically ob¬ 
solete, the words “ leader’’ and “sub-title ’’ having 
supplanted it. 

CAMERA: The instrument used in taking the pic¬ 
ture in motion. It is a very complicated mechan¬ 
ism, and. very expensive, and requires the utmost 
skill in handling. 

CAMERA-MAN: The one who operates the camera. 

CAST: Is the complete list of everyone who takes 
part in the photoplay. 

CAST OF CPIARACTERS: Same as cast with the 
exception possibly, that a description of the rela¬ 
tion to the characters is written after the name of 
each one to aid the director and the actor. 

CATASTROPHE : The climax or end of tragedy; the 
untying of the knot. Literally, it is the falling 
down after the climax is reached in tragedy. 

CAUSE AND EFFECT: This is the rule of construc¬ 
tion of the photoplay. It is the application of 
logic in the artistry of motion pictures. It is ab¬ 
solutely indispensable, and every photoplay must 
stand the test of this law. * Every action must be 
the result of some previous cause. 

CHARACTERIZATION: This is the art of accu¬ 
rately developing the traits which mark the salient 
strengths and weaknesses of the characters. 



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CHARACTERS: The people who portray the photo¬ 
play. 

CINEMATOGRAPHER: This term is applied to a 
cameraman who has become so expert in the art 
of motion picture photography as to be entitled 
to such a highfaluting name. 

CLIMAX: It is the main objective, or the highest 
point, or the supreme scene in the photoplay 
toward which the development of the entire action 
is directed. It is the definite moment of the high¬ 
est interest. It should be the culminating point 
of all suspense. 

CLOSE-UP: The close-up is a scene by itself in 
which the camera is moved near to the actor or 
object so as to obtain a magnified image in which 
facial emotion of the actor is intensified, or the 
deep details of the thing brought out with greater 
clarity. The close-up is also obtained by having 
the actor move close to the camera, which is sta¬ 
tionary. 

COINCIDENCE: This is the chief thing to be avoided 
in photoplay. It is emphasized for that reason. 
It should not only be avoided, but be cast out as 
a thing of destruction. Things cannot “ just hap¬ 
pen” in the photoplay, because the very heart and 
life blood of the screen play depends upon the law 
of cause and effect. 

ft 

COMEDY: A play in which humor is the chief ele¬ 
ment ; in which laughter and merriment abound. 

COMEDY RELIEF: A touch of comedy in a serious 
or solemn situation to make the seriousness or 
solemnity more intense through the medium of 











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contrast. It gives the audience the pleasant sen¬ 
sation of “thank the Lord that’s over with.” It’s 
like a man who must catch a certain train to ac¬ 
complish the most momentous thing in his whole 
life. He runs madly through the crowded streets, 
tragedy gripping his features, agony reflected in 
his eyes. People pause and wonder at his flight. 
On the railroad platform the crowd parts and 
stands aghast. There is no train at the depot; with 
a wail of agony he realizes that all is lost. Re- 
sponding to a habit, he looks at his watch to find 
that he is just one hour ahead of time. 

COMPLETE NEUTRALITY: The composite state 
of the audience’s mind toward a play is without 
prejudice or prejudgment up to the point where 
complication begins; after that prejudice, likes and 
dislikes take shape. 

CONFLICT: This may be defined as the strife be¬ 
tween opposing forces, one seeking to gain a defi¬ 
nite objective, and the other force striving to 
prevent. It is the strife for supremacy. It is 
synonymous with struggle. It is the two-fold 
element used to create a crisis, No photoplay can 
endure without it. 

COMPLICATION: This is the art of entwining or 
twisting the characters into'situations where it 
seems impossible for them to extricate themselves, 
and used to create interest and suspense. There 
should be a major and minor complication, each 
dependent upon the other, 

CONTINUITY': This term is loosely employed, but 
its general and accepted meaning is the manuscript 
containing the logical sequence of the entire play, 


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including leaders, sub-titles, spoken titles, inserts, 
descriptions of the places where the action takes 
place, suggestions as to how the camera is to be 
used and where placed, and the description of what 
is to be done by the actor. In other words, it is a 
complete set of instructions to everybody con¬ 
nected with the making of the picture, to show how 
it is to be built, directed, acted, and photographed. 
“Camouflaged Continuity*’ is fiction writing, the 
technical terms shot throughout to give it the ap¬ 
pearance of continuity. A detailed synopsis 
worked out in the same way. 

CONTINUOUS ACTION: Emphasis must be given 
to this as it is the dangerous temptation in the 
art of photoplay writing. It is where the same 
group of actors continue the action for a long time 
in one set, or in a series of sets, without interrup¬ 
tion, thus approaching the danger point of monot¬ 
ony and the loss of interest, as well as the tendency 
to forget the other characters in the play. Also 
does it approach the realm of fiction. 

CONTRACT: An instrument in writing in which 
two or more people agree to do or not to do a cer¬ 
tain thing for a valuable consideration. 

CONTRAST: Creating a high degree of interest by 
showing opposite conditions at the same time, as 
riches and poverty, good and evil. It should al¬ 
ways be done without retarding the action, and 
never done merely to try to get the effect by doing 
that which is not a part of the play. 

CONTRACT AUTHOR: Is one who enters into a con¬ 
tract with a producer to write a certain number 
of plays within a certain time, at a certain price. 





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This author is not necessarily attached to the pro¬ 
ducing organization. 

' COPYRIGHT: Is the grant of an exclusive privilege 
by the government for the purpose of protecting 
and encouraging the product of a mental effort, 
which secures to the author the fruit of his toil in 
such a way that no one else may use it without the 
author’s consent. The term of copyright is twenty- 
eight years, with the right of renewal for twenty- 
eight years more on due application. The cost of 
securing a copyright is nominal. Full information 
can be had by writing to the Patent Office in Wash¬ 
ington. 

CRANK: To start shooting the picture, or to start 
the film from one container, or retort, to the other, 
having it pass through an aperture, in which the 
picture is taken, frame by frame. 

CRANKING: Is the act of turning the crank by the 
cameraman. 

CRANK-SPEED: The normal speed for turning the 
crank to take an average picture. 

CRANK-TURNERS: Men who lack knowledge of the 
principles of photography or the camera, and only 
do as some one else tells them, or imitate others. 

CRISIS: One of the critical moments of a play. The 
end of a minor conflict. Where two conflicting 
forces demand instant solution. 

CUT: A word used by some directors, in the nature 
of a command, for the cameraman to stop cranking. 

CUT-BACK: A return to a previous action or a 
scene. Its purpose is to avoid showing a prohib- 


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ited scene, such as the complete changing of dress, 
or some scene that would offend the eye or the 
Board of Censors; to heighten the effect by par- 
. allel action; to emphasize effect through contrast. 

CUT-IN: Leaders, sub-titles, inserts, and busts which 
are interspersed throughout the picture. They 
are usually photographed in the titling room and 
inserted into the master film by cutting it at the 
points designated in the script, pasting the various 
cuts-in in the film at those points. 

CUTTING: The act of severing the negative to insert 
cuts-in and to eliminate undesirable portions of 
the film. The positive film is also often cut for 
the same reason, either to improve a photoplay, 
to shorten the time of its running, or afford pas¬ 
time for the Board of Censors. Its most frequent 
application is the removal of useless portions of 
scenes, and connecting that which remains with 
other scenes, their leaders, inserts, etc., into* a 
complete play. 

DENOUEMENT: The outcome or conclusion of a 
photoplay. The solution of the problem. The 
final effect from all preceding causes. 

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE: An inserted title describ¬ 
ing locations, or actors, which can not be shown in 
action, and to cover the passage of time. 

DEVELOPMENT OF FILM: The chemical process 
to bring out the images on the film, making them 
permanent and impervious to light: 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLOT: The evolution 
of the idea or theme into a complete photoplay by 
the application of the rules relating to exposition, 



































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cause and effect, struggle, human interest, heart 
interest, by-plots, aiding situations, punch, tested 
by the question of probability, motivation, and the 
box office. 

DIALOGUE: Spoken titles exchanged by actors in 
the same scene. A thing to be avoided as much as 
possible. 

DIAPHRAGM: A mechanical device capable of grad¬ 
ually opening or closing in. a constantly perfect 
circle to regulate the amount of light admitted 
into a camera to act upon the film. Diaphragm-in 
and out is synoymous with iris-in and out, which 
will be'described later. 

DIRECTOR: Is the man, or woman, in complete com¬ 
mand of making the picture. His chief activity is 
in directing the actors. But as he is responsible 
to his company for everything until the film is 
ready for release, he supervises everything in con¬ 
nection with the play he is making. 

DISCOVER: Almost obsolete, the word “on” having 
superseded it. It is used to indicate that the actor 
or actors are on the set before the picture is begun. 

DISSOLVE: The gradual disappearance of tfie pres¬ 
ent scene on the screen into the succeeding one. 
It is obtained by turning the- film backwards to 
within a short distance from where the present 
scene was shot, and then focusing the camera upon 
the new scene and taking the new scene on top of 
an imprint of the last scene and continuing until 
all of the old seene has disappeared from the film, 
and the new scene is in complete possession of the 
film. 


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DOING A PICTURE: This is a new term used in 
some studios, and is the same as saying “making 
a photoplay.’’ 

DOUBLES: Is where an actor plays two different 
parts. 

DOUBLE EXPOSURE : It is exposing the same foot¬ 
age of film two and sometimes three times. Its 
purpose is to place two or more images on the 
same film surface. It is also done by placing what 
is known as a positive strip of film over a nega¬ 
tive strip and printing by the use of electricity the 
images from the negative on to the positive, and 
then again placing the same positive upon a differ¬ 
ent negative and repeating the process of printing. 
The two chief effects obtained are visions and dual 
roles. In the former case, the scene which has 
already been taken remains the same, but there ap¬ 
pears a ghost-like image to supplement the action. 
In the latter the same actor appears acting oppo¬ 
site himself. This is done by first taking the 
action on one side of a set and then have the same 
actor photographed on the other side of the set, 
getting the effect of the actor acting opposite him¬ 
self at the same time in the same scene. The dual 
roR is also obtained by masking one side of the 
film, and taking the action on the exposed part. 
After this is done the film is turned back in the 
camera. The other side of the film is then masked 
and the part which was unexposed to the light 
during the first action is cranked forward again, 
taking the other side of the picture, or the same 
actor acting opposite himself. 

DOUBLE-PRINTING: The exposure of a positive 
film upon two or more negatives before develop- 
























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ment of the latter. This is done to obtain a com¬ 
posite of the various negatives. 

DOWN STAGE: The front part of the photographic 
stage nearest the camera. It is a term taken from 
the spoken stage. 

DRAMA: In the photoplay this word embraces every¬ 
thing except comedy and slap-stick. It generally 
has a serious motif. 

DRAMATIC TRIAD: Where the action revolves 
around two men and a woman, or two women and 
a man. In either instance we have a protagonist 
and an antagonist, and the thing contended for, 
or the thing over which the struggle develops. 

DREAM PICTURE: Usually an improbable picture, 
in which the denouement discloses that it is all a 
dream. 

DUAL ROLE: Where the same actor plays two parts 
in the same play. See Double Exposure. 

DUPE: This is where a negative film is printed from 
a positive and the new negative used as a basis 
for making other positives. Sometimes a dupe is 
a downright theft. A company may rent a posi¬ 
tive print for exhibition purposes and then change 
that positive to a negative by the process of print¬ 
ing, return the original positive to its; lawful owner, 
and then use the negative which they have stolen 
to make new prints. Several successful law suits 
have substantially eradicated this practice. An¬ 
other case is where a film has been so popular that 
it has been worn out through excessive use, in 
printing, and new positives have to be printed for 
the master film or negative. 


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EDITOR OF FILMS: The one who cuts the original 
negative for the purpose of assembling the parts 
so cut in the order in which the picture is to ap¬ 
pear upon the screen. The original negative does 
not contain the continuity of the play for the sake 
of photographic economy. Every bit of action 
which occurs in one locale or set is shot regardless 
of where the action belongs in the continuity. It 
is the business of the Film Editor then to cut the 
film and place the separate parts where they be¬ 
long to obtain the continuity. He also may take 
from, or add to the original negative. 

EDITOR OF PLAYS: This editor is in the employ 
of the producing company, and his chief occupa¬ 
tion is the selection of subjects and seeing that 
they are placed in proper form for the director. 

EDL T CATIONAL: This is the term applied to such 
films which contain general information of an edu¬ 
cational value, such as travel pictures, and pic¬ 
tures illustrative of the arts and sciences. They 
are becoming more popular and are tending 
toward actual use in universities, colleges, schools 
and churches. 

ENTER: A term used to indicate when, where and 
under what circumstances an actor steps into a 
picture which is being shot. 

EPISODE: The general use of this term is applied 
to serials to indicate that part of a long photo¬ 
play which appears on the designated night, and 
the remainder of the entire play is presented in 
designated parts during the following weeks. The 
length of an episode is generally about 2,000 feet. 






























































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ESTABLISHMENT OF FACT: The clear and em¬ 
phatic portrayal of any fact necessary in the 
development of the photoplay, such as time, place 
and event. Also definite emotions and their re¬ 
sults. The portrayal of the conduct of John 
towards Mary may establish, for example, the fact 
of love, jealousy, etc. The way in which the char¬ 
acter meets death may establish the fact of murder, 
suicide, accident, etc. 

ESTABLISHMENT OF A PLAYER: Is the clear 
portrayal of the identity of the actor; his or her 
relationship to others in the play; or that a certain 
character is in a certain place on a certain time 
for a certain purpose, so that when the audience 
sees a certain thing being done at a certain place 
and at a certain time, it knows, at once, that no 
other actor but the one established could possibly 
be there and do this certain thing. 

EXTRA YAGANZA: The highly spectacular scenes 
in the photoplay where the characters are allegor¬ 
ical, representing animals, fairies, legendary kings, 
queens, and princes, etc., while the scenery is also 
highly exaggerated, such as huge toad stools, cav¬ 
erns with highly tinseled effects; trees which talk, 
and almost any conceivable exaggeration. 

EXIT: A term used to indicate the time, place and 
manner in which a character leaves a scene. 

EXPLANATORY TITLE: A sub-title, insert, or 
leader used to explain what the action does not 
adequately explain. 

EXTERIOR: A scene which is taken out of doors. 


20 


EXTRAS: Actors who are simply listed with pro¬ 
ducing companies, not belonging to the regular or¬ 
ganization, who are paid by the day. They are 
used to do small parts, or bits, and in mob scenes. 

FACTION: The term is used very much like the fac¬ 
tions in a political party or church or other organ¬ 
izations. It means the actor or group of actors 
which are opposed to another actor or group of 
actors in the same play. For example: All those 
who are on the side of the hero are designated as 
the hero faction, those on the side of the villain, 
the villain faction, and those on the side of the 
heroine, the heroine faction. 

FACTOR: Is any established fact which, in its rela¬ 
tion to, or combination with, the other facts, go 
to make up the plot. 

FADE IN: The slow and gradual appearance of a 
scene upon the screen which has no outline of 
detail in the beginning, and in which the details 
slowly develop until they stand out clearly on the 
screen. 

FADE OUT: Is the reverse process, where the clear- 
cut picture presently on the screen gradually dis¬ 
appears until the screen is in darkness. 

Note.— The fading in and out can he made 
very slow or very rapid, to suit the atmosphere of 
the action. 

FAKING: Creating an appearance of reality where 
the thing photographed is not at all what it seems 
to the audience. For example: The ships which 
you think are sunk in mid-ocean are usually sunk 
in a 40-foot concrete tank in one of the studios 




21 


inland, about twenty-five miles from the ocean. 
The rain storms are made to order by the use of 
a rain box and electric fans or aeroplane propeller. 
The rain box is about eighteen or twenty feet long, 
four or five inches high, and of the same width, 
with a lot of holes bored through the bottom side. 
A hose is attached to one end of the box, which 
forces the water through the little holes; then the 
box is shaken back and forth with electric fans 
turned on. 

FARCE: A comedy stretched to the highest point of 
improbability, or rather where exact probability 
is subordinated in the development of comical sit¬ 
uations. 

FEATURE: The main picture of the program. It 
is determined chiefly by its length, which is from 
five to seven reels, or from 5,000 to 7,000 feet, of 
film. 

FILM: A long, narrow strip of celluloid, one inch 
wide,' on which is a dried emulsion, which, when 
exposed to the light through a camera, is pene¬ 
trated in varying degrees of intensity, so that when 
it is submerged in a chemical preparation the lights 
and shadows appear. 

FILMING: This term is synonymous with taking or 
doing a play. It means everything in making and 
producing a photoplay up to the time the film is 
ready for development. 

FINGER-POSTS, OR SIGN POSTS: The paving of 
the way; the creation of foundations of the things 
upon which are foreshadowed the events which are 
to come. Suggestion rather than motivation. 


22 


FLASH: Shooting from three to five feet of film so 
that its projection on the screen lasts for a very 
short time, although it may be longer to suit the 
occasion. It is used to refresh the memory, or 
recall something that has passed. 

FLAT: The flat piece of painted scenery stretched 
upon a light framework, or made of light board 
wood. 

FOLLOW SCENES:« The camera is mounted upon a 
movable object anywhere from an express train to 
a low platform in the studio, and has the appear¬ 
ance of following the action. 

FOOTAGE: The medium of film measurement. The 
number of feet in a film. You often hear the ex¬ 
pression of too much footage, or too small foot¬ 
age. Some directors are paid by the amount of 
footage the producer accepts. 

FORECASTING: Another very artistic touch under 
this head is where the author places in the expo¬ 
sition some fact factor, of minor value, which 
suggests the conclusion of the play, as for exam¬ 
ple: The hero and the heroine meet with a mis¬ 
hap while out canoeing, in which the hero saves 
the life of the heroine, then in the end of the 
play the hero saves the heroine from shipwreck. 
A recent illustration is found in “Moonlight and 
Honeysuckle.” The Governor of Texas has ap¬ 
pointed the father of the heroine a United States 
Senator to fill the vacancy caused by the death of 
another Senator from that State. The new ap¬ 
pointee has some refreshing drinks brought out 
for the notification committee. The Governor 
raises his glass and toasts the new appointee, and 



























































































































. 




























































23 


concludes with these words: “and hope that the 
Senator of Texas will return with a charming 
bride. ’ ’ In the finale of the play you see the Sen¬ 
ator taking unto himself a bride. 

FORESHADOW: It is the action which prepares for 
more important action. It gives the hint of what 
is to come. The reason or cause for what is to 
follow. It is very much like planting, except that 
it is action, while planting is generally a factor or a 
thing. 

FRAME: A single picture on a film, one inch wide 
and 3 A inch high. There are sixteen frames to a 
foot of film, and between each frame there is a 
space of about 1/32 of an inch wide. 

FREE LANCE: A writer who sells wherever he can. 
One who is not under contract with any studio. 

FRENCH STAGE: On the French stage the front 
line of action is far enough away from the camera 
so that the entire figures from foot to head are 
shown. The distance varies according to the cam¬ 
era lens, from twenty to twenty-six feet. On the 
American stage the camera is about ten to fourteen 
feet from the front line. 

FRONT LINE: The Front Line is the extreme boun¬ 
dary toward the front of the photographic stage 
beyond which the actor must not go toward the 
camera. 

HARMONY: The development of each part of a 
scene, situation, or play, so that the relationship of 
each part tends to gradually establish, by proper 
adjustment, a pleasing or aesthetic whole. 


24 


HEART INTEREST: Not to be confused with love 
between the sexes, but rather the love between 
parent and child, servant for master, devotion to 
an ideal. 

HEAVY: The person who plays the part of a deep 
dyed villain. 

HERO: The leading male character or protagonist. 

HEROINE: The chief female character or protago¬ 
nist. 

HOKUM: By-play for the obvious purpose of arous¬ 
ing the audience to certain emotions which the story 
in itself cannot attain, such as the introduction 
of domestic animals, kittens, puppies, dogs rescu¬ 
ing babies, to appeal to the hearts of the audience. 
Waving the American flag, playing the “Star 
Spangled Banner/’ overdone acts of heroine which 
call for bursts of applause as a matter of habit or 
convenience. Inserted titles, such as “Take me 
but ,spare the child ,” “Turn back the hands of 
time and give me yesterday. ’ ’ 

HOLD: See Position. 

HUMAN APPEAL: Those touches of situation which 
arouse general human interest, such as the por¬ 
trayal of sacrifice, forgiveness, unselfish devo¬ 
tion. The things which tend to appeal to the nobler 
senses in general. 

IDEA: The chief concept which is sought to be por¬ 
trayed. It is usually synonymous with the word 
punch. The big idea of the play. The object of 
the plot. It is the mental picture intended to be 
conveyed to others by the action of the play; and 
as the play is dramatic, the idea is necessarily 
emotional. 



































































\ 












25 


INSERT: Any flat written or printed paper, such as 
a letter, telegram, newspaper clipping, and the 
like, which may be photographed on another bit 
of film than that on which the action pictures are 
taken, and subsequently placed in the master' film 
for the purpose of more fully explaining the action. 

INTERIOR: A scene in which the action is supposed 
to be inside of an edifice. In the big studios of 
the East the interiors are usually taken inside the 
studio. On the West Coast, however, many inte¬ 
riors are taken on the lot in the “open-air” 
studios. 

INTERPOSE: The process of placing two different 
negatives upon a positive for the purpose of 
obtaining the effect of a dissolve, or double ex¬ 
posure. 

INTRODUCTORY TITLE: A leader or sub-title 
used to introduce a character. 

IRIS: A mechanical device in front of the lens made 
up of overlapping curved blades, forming a per¬ 
fect circle, which can be made larger or smaller 
at the will of the camera-man. 

IRIS-IN: Same as Iris-up. This indicates the open¬ 
ing of the iris so that the picture gradually ap¬ 
pears on the screen in a constantly widening circle 
until the whole picture is shown. 

IRIS-OUT: Same as Iris-down. Here the full pic¬ 
ture is overshadowed by a constantly decreasing 
circle until it disappears from the screen. 

Note. —The difference between the fade and 
the iris is that in the'iris the same amount of light 
is admitted in the lens, but through a smaller apor- 


26 


ture. When this is projected onto the screen the 
same volume of light is projected, although the 
circle be larger or smaller. In the fade the amount 
of light which goes into the lens increases or dimin¬ 
ishes, as the case may be, and consequently, when 
the picture is projected on the screen the effect 
is either going from brightness into darkness, or 
the reverse, and the whole picture is affected. The 
iris is also used to emphasize a particular person 
or object, like the “spot, light” on the speaking 
stage. 

IRONY: A state of affairs which is the reverse of 
what should happen, or the making of a wrong 
decision, or mistaking that which is for that which 
is not. A result as if in mockery of what the re¬ 
sult should be. 

Irony also may be divided into three kinds. 
First, where the actor is conscious of his act and 
the other actors are ignorant about it. Second, 
where the actor is unconscious of the meaning of 
his act, while the other actors may share the knowl¬ 
edge with the audience. Third, is where the spec¬ 
tators alone have the knowledge. This is some¬ 
what like ‘ ‘ superior knowledge. ’ ’ 

The hero seeks to rescue the heroine. She is 
confined in a building, where the audience beholds 
her. The hero seems to be sure to find her, but 
just when the audience expects him to enter the 
house he makes the wrong decision and goes else¬ 
where, leaving the heroine to her apparent fate. 
Our suspense is heightened, because we know that 
he will ultimately find her—but how? 

JOINING-: Fixing together the various strips of film 
which have been cut, and also the inserts, to make 
the proper continuity of the story. 














27 


LABORATORY: A separate department of the 
studio where the negative is developed and dried, 
the positive or print made from the negative, and 
processes appertaining thereto. 

LAPSE OF TIME TITLE: Is the “Next Day,” “A 
Year Later,” and so forth. 

LEAD: The principal character in a photoplay. 

LEADER: Properly an inserted title to introduce an 
idea which cannot be shown in pictures. Its 
proper use is to introduce the idea or person, or 
some necessary fact factor. Sub-title is more gen¬ 
erally used for the same purpose, but careful writ¬ 
ers distinguish between the two, as we will see 
later. 

LEADER BREAK: The break leader is used between 
two scenes to create a pause in the action, or to 
halt the action for any specific purpose. 

LEADER CUT-IN: The cut-in leader, or cut-in-title 
appears within the scene itself. It is almost al¬ 
ways in the form of words spoken by the actors. 

LEADER DIALOGUE: The dialogue leader is also 
the inserted conversation between actors in one 
scene. It is to be used as little as possible. 

LEADER-TIME: An insert between scenes to indi¬ 
cate the time wihch is supposed to have elapsed 
between the two scenes. 

LIGHTING: Is the use of artificial lights, almost ex¬ 
clusively electric lights, to illuminate the studio 
or a scene. The term is sometimes used to describe 
tinting to get the effect of night, moonlight, strong 
shadows, etc. 


28 


LIGHT STUDIO: Is a studio where artificial light is 
generally used. 

LINES: This term designates the limits in which the 
action takes place. It is determined by the angle 
of the lens in the camera. Sometimes these lines 
are marked on the floor of the studio; and some¬ 
times by placing properties in such a position as 
to indicate a point beyond which the actors must 
not go. 

LOCAL COLOR: The accurate representation of the 
place, time and customs, as well as their charac¬ 
teristics, where the action is supposed to take 
place. The employment and faithful reproduction, 
with such touches of scenery, settings, properties 
and costumes as to emphasize the place, as well as 
the time in which the picture is taken. If one 
wishes to portray a court-room, one does not pho¬ 
tograph the interior of a church and simply say, 
“This is a court-room.” Also, if the scene is laid 
in a country town, one would not take a picture of 
a city street, and entitle it a “country town.” 

LOCALE: The place wherein the scenes are supposed 
to be laid or take place. These are very often 
“faked” by the use of scenery. 

LOCATION: Those places outside of the studio, or 
the yard surrounding the studio, where outdoor 
scenes are photographed. 

LOCATION LIST: A catalogue, or list, of the places 
selected by the assistant director where certain 
parts of the play are to be done. 

LOGIC: The rule of cause and effect demands that 
the premise pave the way for the complication, or 

































29 


that the complication be the direct outcome of the 
premise, also that the solution be the direct out¬ 
come of the complication. 

LONG SHOT: A scene which is photographed at a 
distance so as to include everything in the scene 
desired. The camera is placed at the point fur¬ 
thest away from the acting line, so as to include 
everything in the scene. This distance is not meas¬ 
ured by feet, but at a point determined by the 
camera-man. 

LOVE INTEBEST: Generally used to designate the 
love action between opposite sexes. Sometimes it 
is used to indicate the love between parent and 
child. 

MAKE-UP: The things which are used to change the 
normal appearance of the actors to better portray 
the characters they represent, such as grease paint, 
artificial hair, lip-stick, powder, etc., and also cloth¬ 
ing. 

MAKE-UP OHABAOTEBS: All of the artificial 
means employed by an actor or actress to create 
the appearance of a particular character in the 
play. Where used to create extreme characters, 
or what is theatrically known as “ character 
parts,” some typical ones are—old hags, colored 
people, tramps, in brief, the unusual and strange 
characters in plays, as distinguished from the nor¬ 
mal characters. But the majority of studios ob¬ 
tain people who “look the part” in themselves. 

MAKE-UP STBAIGHT: This is where grease paint 
or some other substance is used to cover up minor 
blemishes. As the negative is made up of small 
frames about 1" x %" it is impossible to retouch 


30 


the negative, therefore, any blemishes, such as 
scars, warts, crowfeet, etc., are obliterated on the 
person of the actor. 

MAIN TITLE: The title which is finally adopted for 
a play. 

MANUFACTURERS TITLE: The temporary title 
used while the picture is being done, used to desig¬ 
nate one script from another, or identify the script 
which is being used in the preparation of the play. 

MANUFACTURER: A person, corporation, or part¬ 
nership engaged in the production and sale of 
photoplay film. 

MANUSCRIPT: A complete photoplay in typewrit¬ 
ten form. When it reaches the director it should 
include everything required by that particular di¬ 
rector, such as the title, cast of characters, the 
interior and exterior locations, scene plot, prop¬ 
erty plot, wardrobe plot, location list, short synop¬ 
sis, long synopsis, continuity and any necessary 
notations. 

MASKS: Metal devices to be used in front of the lens 
of the camera to cover part of the film, to obtain 
double exposures, the effect of looking through a 
key hole, spy glasses, etc. 

MAT,: Mat is substantially the same as mask, with 
this distinction: The mat is confined to such things 
as key holes, binoculars, etc., while the mask can 
be adjusted to get almost any effect. 

MATCHING: This is a very important term. It is an 
action direction to indicate how an actor is to go 
off a set, and harmonize that exit with his en¬ 
trance into another scene, or re-entering the same 









31 


scene. Avoiding such things as seeing an actor 
drenched to the skin in one scene and then walk 
into the next perfectly dry. 

MELODRAMA: A photoplay of great physical ac¬ 
tivity and strenuous plot action. It deals with 
plotting and action in a more heroic and vivid form 
than the drama. 

MENTAL PUNCH: Scenes portraying great emotion 
which suggest the action of the mind rather than 
of the body. It is used chiefly in close-ups, where 
the facial expression suggest an intense working 
of the mind. 

MOB: Any large number of persons used in an action, 
whether it be a ball-room scene, battle scene, a re¬ 
ception, an audience and the like. The term mob 
has no suggestion of violence; it merely means a 
crowd. 

MORGUE: A large receptacle, in which undesirable 
manuscripts are thrown, where they remain until 
claimed by the author, or resurrected by the pro¬ 
ducer. Also, the large steel vaults in which out-of- 
date film is filed away, with the hope that it may 
be brought to light at some future date. The hope, 
however, is slight. 

MULTIPLE REEL: A story which uses more than 
one reel of film. Originally it meant anything 
more than 1,000 feet; now it has come to mean 
anything more than five reels, or 5,000 feet. 

OBLIGATORY SITUATION: It is a situation which 
must be immediately solved before progressing 
further with the plot, because it admits of differ¬ 
ent solutions. We know that something must re- 


32 


suit from the situation under consideration, and 
therefore cannot cut hack and leave the audience 
in suspense (although it is sometimes done), 

OBSTACLE: It is that which must be overcome to 
advance the play. Generally speaking, it is the 
attempt of one actor, or his or her faction attempt¬ 
ing to prevent another actor, or his or her faction 
from accomplishing the purpose sought. 

OBJECT TO BE ATTAINED: This is the thing 
which one actor or faction is striving for, and 
which another actor or faction seeks to keep from 
being attained, as, for example: Fortune is what 
the protagonist seeks; the antagonist tries to pre¬ 
vent his getting it. 

ON: This term is used to designate the actors on the 
set before the picture is shot. 

ORIENTATION: Is planting. 

OUT OF FOCUS SCENE: A recent device to give a 
hazy appearance of an actor or a scene. An artis¬ 
tic picture is obtained, but the details are lacking, 
such as sharp drawn lines of a face. 

PAN, or PANORAMA: This indicates a scene in 
which the camera moves on its tripod to follow the 
action without moving the tripod. 

PANTOMIME: In photoplay it generally means the 
“business” of an actor. 

PART: The role or character taken by an actor. 

PART ONE, TWO, ETC.: A division of a photoplay, 
usually one reel. In a multiple reel play some¬ 
times the action is divided into distinct parts. 
These parts are numbered one, two, etc. 



















33 


PATHOS: The action which awakens sympathy, pity, 
or tender sorrow. It does not extend to extreme 
sorrow or agony. 

PHOTOGRAPHIC STAGE: The space between the 
camera lines in which the action takes place. The 
point nearest the camera gives the stage a little 
over four feet, and a point about thirty feet from 
the camera gives the stage about nineteen feet 
wide, with the average lens. A “wide angle” lens, 
of course, permits of a greater space being cov¬ 
ered. The panorama enables the camera to cover 
almost any space. 

PHOTO DRAMATIST: This is meant to indicate 
one who writes a play for the screen. So far in 
the development of the art very few have reached 
this definition, because in the modern method of 
making photoplays the director usually changes an 
alleged photoplay in such a way as it would never 
be recognized by the author as his own brain child. 
It is the object of this course to try to make photo¬ 
play dramatists. 

PHOTOPLAY: A play exhibited to the public by the 
use of pictures. From the author’s standpoint it 
would be an idealization of human actions con¬ 
structed by the free use of imagination, so as to 
be the complete isolation in unity of plot and pic¬ 
torial harmony. This definition will be enlarged 
in the lectures. 

PHYSICAL PUNCH: An appeal intended to excite 
the emotions through action which is purely physi¬ 
cal, as distinguished from mental. 

PICTORIAL PRESENT TENSE: This term applies 
to the work of the author and means the pictures 


34 


he creates with his pen, or her pen, should always 
be written in the present tense. 

PICTURE EYE: The ability to see the picture the 
author is writing, as if it were enacted in a pic¬ 
ture according to the full extent, and at the same 
time, limitations of the camera stage. 

PLANT: As a noun it refers to an object or thing 
which is used in planting. As a verb, it means the 
use or establishment of the thing or object in a log¬ 
ical way, and at an early part of the construction 
of the play, so that it may be used in the future or 
latter part of the play. For example: If a photo¬ 
graph is to play an important part in some situa¬ 
tion it should be introduced early in the play, so 
that when it is used it does not come as a surprise, 
or be dragged in merely to help out the situation. 
In one of Mr. Hart’s best dramas, the solution of 
a murder is worked out by discovering that the 
man was killed by a bullet which fitted a certain 
type of revolver. At the very beginning of the 
play this revolver is introduced as a part of the 
kit of an overseas soldier, or rather a relic which 
the soldier has brought home. In a recent play of 
Miss Constance Talmadge, a photograph not only 
causes many dilemmas, but also solves a problem. 
The photograph could have been conveniently 
placed on the mantlepiece and taken down at the 
moment of decision, but it was more artistically 
employed by having the aunt display it with a 
good deal of effusion early in the play; then it was 
put aside on the table and not called attention to 
until its use was required later on to solve the 
problem. It is also the application of the law of 
cause and effect. 






































' 







































































































































































































35 


PLANTING BACKWARDS: Too much emphasis 
cannot be placed upon the value of this term. The 
author may have finished his play, or her play, to 
discover that a. very powerful situation seems to 
be illogical, or that there has not been sufficient 
ground work laid to warrant it. Then the author 
works backwards over the play, adds facts or ac¬ 
tions, from which the big situation could be log¬ 
ically developed. Many authors do this by writing 
the big scenes first and then working backwards 
, in the establishing of factors to make the big scene 
seem logical, reasonable and inevitable. 

PLOT OF PLAY: This is the development or working 
out of the idea or theme of the play by the appli¬ 
cation of the law of cause and effect. It is the 
skeleton on which is subsequently placed the flesh, 
sinews, and arteries of the brain child. 

PLOT OF ACTION: The general plan to indicate to 
the actors how they are to portray the develop¬ 
ment of the theme or idea. It is sometimes called 
a description of the action. 

PLOT OF PROPERTY: This is an itemized list 
which the director hands to the property man to 
tell him in no uncertain terms what articles he 
must procure to use on the set, such as chairs, 
tables, rugs, pictures; in short,dt'is a description 
of all the movable things used on a given set. 

PLOT OF SCENE; OF SET: This is a written de¬ 
scription furnished by the director and given to 
the carpenter, from which he gets the information 
as to the kind of scenery he must build for each set 


or scene. 


36 


PLOT MASTER: Sometimes one member of the pro¬ 
ducing organization has entire charge of the prop¬ 
erty plot and the scene plot. He is called the plot 
master. 

POSITION: This term has three meanings, and is 
used by the director as follows: When a scene has 
been rehearsed and the director is ready to shoot, 
or order the camera to be used, he will say “Posi¬ 
tion. ’ ’ That indicates that the actors must go off 
the set and be ready to make their entrance as 
called upon by the director. Another place in 
which it is used is where all the actors are “on” 
the set, and the director is ready to make the pic¬ 
ture. He will then say “Position,” and the actors 
take the places where they are discovered. The 
other use is sometimes confused with the word 
“hold.” This is where the camera-man has run 
out of film, and the actors are required to hold per¬ 
fectly still just where they are standing and never 
move an inch until the camera-man has recharged 
his retort, or put new film in his camera, then the 
director yells “Position—action,” and the play is 
resumed. 

PREDICAMENT: This is a temporary obstacle in 
the building up of a situation and might be termed 
a minor crisis in the situation. It is more in the 
nature of an unfortunate plight, so created as to 
enable the author to develop stronger stepping 
stones toward the crisis of the situation. It dif¬ 
fers from situation in that struggle is not neces¬ 
sary. 

PREMISE: This is the statement of the question in¬ 
volved, and usually is developed immediately after 
the exposition or introduction of the characters. 


















































1 

























I* 


















































































' 


































































































































■ 






37 


It might be said to be the asking of the question 
which is to be solved. It might also be termed the 
beginning of the rule of cause and effect. That is 
to say, because of this premise you behold the fol¬ 
lowing result or conclusion in the plot building 
demonstration. 

PRINCIPALS: These are the actors who play the 
leading parts in the photoplay. 

PRINT: The positive film on which is printed, from 
the negative, the film which is used in the pro¬ 
jection machine to make the picture. This kind 
of film has a different chemical process than the 
film which we call the negative to obtain more 
definite lights and details. 

PRINTING: Printing, of course, is the process of 
making the print. The interesting fact is that it 
is done by absolutely accurate mechanical pro¬ 
cesses, and almost an unlimited number of prints 
can be made of the negative. 

PROBABILITY: This is one of the most important 
terms in photoplay writing. The play must always 
be tested by the question of probability. Never by 
possibility, because many things are possible which 
would not be probable. The whole play should be 
tested from start to finish by the question of prob¬ 
ability. 

PRODUCER: The photoplay industry is divided into 
three parts, the producer, the distributor, and the 
exhibitor. The producer is the man, partnership, 
or corporation which makes the picture, and after 
it is made hands prints of the negative over to the 
distributor. The producer may have a plant in 


38 


which every part of the play may be done, or the 
producer may be an individual or corporation 
which rents a studio, and hires actors and camera¬ 
men and others to produce a certain photoplay. 

PROGRAM: A term of the early days, which indi¬ 
cated that the producer manufactured a number of 
pictures according to program, and that the ex¬ 
hibitor was bound to show the entire program in 
his theatre. This method has almost fallen into 
entire disuse. 

PROJECTOR: The machine through which the film 
passes and is projected on the screen. 

PROTAGONIST: The leading male or female actor. 
It is usually the hero or heroine. 

PUNCH: This is the big idea which gives force to the 
play. It may be the physical force or the mental 
suggestion that adds power to the scene, also to the 
whole play. It is the thing which compels the cre¬ 
ation of emotions in the audience. 

READER: The person hired by a producer to read 
manuscript and ideas submitted for photoplays. 

RECONSTRUCTION: The changing of a manu¬ 
script, novel or stage play to meet the require¬ 
ments, or the lack of capacity, both material and 
mental, at the plant, or studio where the picture 
is being made. 

REEL: This is a large metal spool, after the principle 
of the reel used on a fishing rod, in which the film 
is wound. One reel is capable of containing about 
one thousand (1,000) feet of film. 





39 


REGISTER: The portrayal by the actor of a neces¬ 
sary emotion or fact. If the actor accurately por¬ 
trays the fact, idea, or emotion, he is said to reg¬ 
ister correctly, and the emotion he portrays will 
register on the screen. 

RELEASE : This is the paper which the author signs 
releasing all of his rights, title and interest to the 
manuscript. In fact, it gives the whole thing to 
the producer. 

RELEASE DATE: The' day on which the picture is to 
be released for general exhibition purposes. 

RELEASE TITLE: The final title under which the 
picture is to appear before the public. It is fre¬ 
quently quite different from the working title, 
which will be mentioned later. 

RELIEF: A bit of comedy action, of light action, 
after an intense situation, to relieve the dramatic 
tension in the minds of the audience, and also to 
intensify the intensity of the dramatic action. 

RETAKE: Photographing a part of the play or ac¬ 
tion a second time to correct defects, or get better 
results. 

RIBBON COPY: This is the original copy, as distin¬ 
guished from the carbon copy, or it is the direct 
impression made by the typewriter striking on the 
ribbon, impressing itself upon the paper. 

RETROSPECT: Short bits of film showing past 
scenes, which are necessary to make the play clear. 
It is to recall some previous facts. It is usually 
done by dissolving from the present action into the 
past, as if the person were narrating it to another, 


40 


or bringing it back to the actor’s mind, as if he 
were looking at it. 

SUNNING SCENE: The continuous action in a scene 
which is not interrupted by close-ups, cut-backs, 
and so forth. 

SUNS OF ACTION: Cuts-back recurring in frequent 
succession and for some time to show the continu¬ 
ous progress of the players advancing to a given 
point or situation. 

SATIRE: Showing the faults, foibles and hypocrisy 
of life in such a way as to suggest corrections 
thereof. Example: “Within the Cup.” 

SCENARIO: This term has not been standardized. 
In some studios it means merely a description of 
the play from start to finish, without being divided 
into scenes, or without containing a description of 
the action; in others it is known as the continuity; 
in others it is what might be defined the detailed 
synopsis; in others it includes the titles, the cast 
of characters, the short synopsis, the long synop¬ 
sis, and the continuity. I predict that the time 
will come when the scenario will be understood to 
mean merely the skeleton outline of the play, and 
that the term universally adopted for manuscript 
will be “photoplay.” 

SCENARIO EDITOR: The person employed by the 
producer to either read, or have some one else read 
under him, all manuscript submitted and select the 
ones fitted for his producer’s desires. 

SCENE: Scene is all of the action taken while the 
camera is in one position, and between the time 
when the camera starts, and when it stops. 








41 


SCENE PLOT: The numerical order of the scenes 
used for the convenience of the director. This is 
not to be confused with continuity, as the scene 
plot for a day’s work, while in numerical order, 
may be taken from a dozen different parts of the 
continuity. For example: A day’s work may be 
confined to interiors, owing to weather conditions, 
and the continuity numbers may be 1, 17, 22, 37, 
etc., but in the scene plot for the day’s work #1 
in the continuity would be #1 of the scene plot, 
#17 of the continuity would be #2 of the scene 
plot, #22 would be #3, and #37 would be #4. 

SCREEN: The plain surface on which the picture is 
projected. It is sometimes called the silver sheet, 
because the silver tinting over the white surface 
produces better results. 

SCRIPT: An abbreviation of photoplay or manu¬ 
script in any form. 

SEQUENCE: Scenes in logical order without cut¬ 
backs or stops to interject other action. 

SEMI-CLOSE-UP: The camera is a little further 
away than a close-up and closer than a long shot. 
It varies according to the wishes of the director, 
and is usually used to get one or two figures in 
the frame from a point near the knees, leaving a 
space of about a foot above the head. 

SERIAL: A photoplay of ten or more reels shown at 
weekly intervals at a theatre, and is usually di¬ 
vided into episodes, one episode being shown a 
week. It is then “continued in our next.” 

SHOOT: Used as a verb to mean the photographing 
of a scene by the camera-man. 


42 


SHOT: Generally means the thing photographed and 
the distance from the camera of the thing to be 
photographed, as a long shot, medium shot, etc.; 
also, the past tense to indicate that the scene has 
been taken. 

SIGHT STUFF: An extravaganza scene, or a spec¬ 
tacular scene, which for the moment is intended to 
thrill and appeal to the audience at the expense of 
the story itself. It is a thing of momentary value, 
such as the burning of a building under spectac¬ 
ular circumstances, and is intended to be a won¬ 
derful thing to behold. It is also veiy much like 
hokum. 

SILHOUETTE: A scene or figures shown dimly to 
get an artistic effect, and is obtained by a mechan¬ 
ical device in front of the lens of some cameras. 

SITUATION: “A state of affairs in which certain 
characters sustain such relations to each other 
that an important change might and almost must 
grow out of the relationship.—When a single char¬ 
acter is confronted by the necessity for an impor¬ 
tant decision, whether of morals or of physical 
action—we also have a situation. ’ ’—Esenwein & 
Leeds. 

When we say a situation is the crisis of 
an emotional struggle, we, of course, include the 
struggle and the emotion or elements concurring to 
make a situation. The situation is intended to 
heighten the dramatic effect; and a good photoplay 
is constructed by building a series of situations, 
each the logical outcome of the previous situation, 
and which also lays the motivation or premise for 
the following situation. There must be a logical 


























43 


sequence flowing into and from a situation; and 
each succeeding situation should be stronger than 
its predecessor. 

SLAPSTICK: “The wildly vigorous type of picture 
in which a mere thread of plot is required upon 
which to hang a series of acrobatic falls and situ¬ 
ations impossible from the human point of view.” 
— Powell. 

SLOW CRANKING: Turning the crank of the cam¬ 
era slower than the normal speed. This is done in 
trick photography, and also to obtain a more rapid 
projection of pictures on the screen. Every pro¬ 
jecting machine runs the film through it at a stand¬ 
ard rate of speed; therefore, when the picture has 
been taken by slow cranking of the camera, the 
print from the negative will necessarily go much 
faster through the projector, and thus gives a 
more rapid movement of the action. 

SPECTACLE: A photoplay having elaborate scenes 
and very large and costly scenery, costumes, etc. 
It must be distinguished from extravaganza in that 
extravaganza savors of allegory, while the spec¬ 
tacle savors of the reality, but on a very large 
scale. 

SPLICE: This is erroneously called cementing strips 
of film together. As a matter of fact, the film is 
joined together, but it is done by causing the cellu¬ 
loid, by the application of a mild chemical, to be¬ 
come partially soluble or soft, which in itself, upon 
coming in contact with another strip of film be¬ 
comes hardened and binds the two pieces together. 

SPLIT REEL: A thousand feet of film containing 


44 


more than one subject. It is very seldom used in 
photoplay, but is common in news film and educa¬ 
tional film. 

SPLIT SCENE: It is where continuous action is 
broken up by what is called a break leader, or a 
cut to some other action, or a cut back, in order- 
to relieve the monotony of the continuous action. 

SPOKEN TITLE: A spoken title is cut into a scene , 
to represent what the actor or actors are saying. 
The spoken title is photographed in the titling 
room, and subsequently cut into the action film, or 
spliced into it. 

STAFF AUTHOR: One who is employed under a 
regular salary to write scenarios or photoplays as 
directed by the producer. 

STAGE: It must also be remembered that the wonder¬ 
ful development of the mechanical devices in the 
camera have made it possible to practically elimi¬ 
nate the idea of distances and confinements of the 
old camera stage. By the use of the Panorama, the 
Dip, the Truck, and Follow Scenes, one may now 
say the camera stage is without limit. 

Distinguished from location and applied to 
studio work exclusively. The stage is somewhat 
triangular in shape, the point of action nearest the 
camera being only from four to five feet wide, with 
the camera from four to ten feet away from the 
acting line. Then imaginary lines extend away 
from the camera, so that at a depth of thirty feet 
from the camera the action is confined within a 
space of from 191^ to 20 feet. This distance varies 
somewhat, according to the lens used by the cam- 































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eia man. Some lenses enable much larger stages 
to be used for mob scenes and the like. 

STAINING: This is a synonym for tinting. The film 
is submerged in a bath of dye to color the emulsion 
on it, such as blue, to g’et moonlight effects, and 
various degrees of blue color for night scenes gen¬ 
erally. Amber, green, yellow and other colors are 
also used to obtain effects desired by the producer. 

STILL: A photograph taken with an ordinary cam¬ 
era, generally 8 x 10 inches in size, which is dis¬ 
tinguished from the motion picture. Its chief use 
is for advertising purposes. 

STOCK COMPANY: A group of actors in which 
there is no star. They are generally qualified to 
play any part required. 

STOCK STUFF : Film of subjects which may be fre¬ 
quently used, taken at some time past, and stored 
away in a vault, to be used as the occasion requires, 
such as horse races, shipwrecks, railroad wrecks, 
fires, etc. The various news companies, always 
alert to obtain such pictures, keep a stock of the 
film on hand, and either sell or rent it, as the pro¬ 
ducing company may require. 

STOP DIAPHRAGM: Instantaneous covering of the 
lens so that a rearrangement of a scene may take 
place for trick photography, double exposure, vis¬ 
ions and where one actor disappears and in his 
place or her place you instantly see another. An 
example of the last is where one actor has been 
talking to another and turns away for some busi¬ 
ness, expecting to turn around and see the same 
person he was talking to, but instead sees some 
other. 


46 


STRUGGLE: A conflict between two actors, either 
physical or mental, which is the chief element to 
sustain the interest in the photoplay. • It is either 
a physical or mental contest between the protago¬ 
nist or his faction, and the antagonist or his fac¬ 
tion. In the photodramatic struggle, the placing of 
the dramatic obstacle in the way of forward move¬ 
ment of either the protagonist or antagonist. See 
Obstacle. 

STUDIO: The place where the action is photo¬ 
graphed. There are five kinds of studios. Day¬ 
light, where the building in the upper stories or 
top is made of glass, and sunlight only is used; 
electric, an enclosed building, generally one large 
room, where the only light for making the pictures 
is produced by electric lamps, such as Cooper- 
Hewits (mercury vapor lights), Kleigs, carbon arc 
lights, Macbeth, Pan Cromas and others; exterior, 
anywhere in the whole world; glass, where the 
entire building, generally one room, is made of 
glass, and lights and shadows are regulated by 
curtains of varying intensity, from cheese cloth 
to opaque curtains like window shades; open air, 
where the set is built on the lot adjoining the studio 
so as to get the benefit of sunlight. 

STUNTS: Sensational action, trick camera work, out 
of the ordinary, to procure unusual effects. 

SUBJECT: Generally the theme or the motif of the 
play, although it is often used to express a part or 
some distinguished feature of a play. One fre¬ 
quently hears the expression, a “fine subject.” It 
has been known to relate to bits of scenery, archi¬ 
tecture, and short footage of extraordinary attrac¬ 
tive scenery. 




































































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47 


SUB-TITLE: The universal application of this term 
means every title in the photoplay, except the main 
title; that is, the name of the play. Its accurate 
and technical application, however, is the title 
which follows the action, or the introduction of 
characters. The. etymology of the word indicates 
how it should be used, namely, sub, under. It 
should be distinguished from the Spoken Title or 
the Inserted Title, which cuts into the middle of 
the action, and also from the Leader. 

SUGGESTION: Action which suggests rather than 
defines. This subject is one of the most important 
in photoplay dramatic art. While it is hard to de¬ 
fine, it may be said it is that action which leaves 
something to the imagination, or, crudely put, it 
is starting something for the audience itself to 
finish in its own imagination. Examples are where 
action suggests that a murder is committed, that 
a building is burning, a person is drowning, that 
there is intense love emotion, all of which would 
be irritating if it would be acted before the audi¬ 
ence, but it is necessary for the audience to know 
that such and such a thing is in the play. Its 
especial application in these times is mere sugges¬ 
tion of things which must be made in order to get 
by the Board of Censors, such as scenes where a 
beautiful lady changes her dress, or is about to 
get into bed. It will be noted that just the first 
part of the action is shown, and then there is a 
cut back, or cut to some other action. This leaves 
the idea in the minds of the audience that she is 
undressing or getting into bed while they are look¬ 
ing at some other part of the action. Sound can 
be suggested by the tapping of a bell, smell by 


48 


showing food cooking to a crisp. A close-up of a. 
hand placing three candles in a cake suggests that 
a child has been born, and that it is three years 
old. 

SUPERIMPOSE: The placing of two,strips of nega¬ 
tive film upon a strip of positive film to obtain the 
effect of double exposure, dual roles, and other 
trick photography. 

SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE: This is the art of never 
fooling the audience. In other words, the audi¬ 
ence knows what is going on all the time. But one 
or more of the actors may not know, that is, one 
or more of the actors may be kept in ignorance 
of events while the audience sits complacently 
back and watches them fall into predicaments, ob¬ 
stacles, or mistakes. It is somewhat similar to 
“irony,” differing in the element of choice. In 
dramatic irony, the actor has no choice. In supe¬ 
rior knowledge, the actor usually has two courses 
presented to him or her, and they choose the wrong 
one, while the audience knows the true conditions. 

SUPERVISING PRODUCER: The head of a firm 
or corporation who carefully watches over every 
department utilized in making a play. He is gen¬ 
erally the president of the corporation or the pro¬ 
prietor of the company, who knows -every phase 
of the art and industry. 

SURPRISE: In the photodramatic sense “surprise” 
is but infrequently used; however, when it is used 
it is for the purpose of suddenly stimulating the 
interest by doing an unexpected thing, or having 
a situation turn out differently than the audience 
is led to believe it will. It should only be handled 







































































































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49 


by experts, as it violates the principle of superior 
knowledge. And it must be part and parcel of the 
play itself, never a trick. 

SURE FIRE: This is a slang term usually employed 
in advertising a photoplay, which means that the 
photoplay is a great success, and is sure to pro¬ 
duce big box-office results. 

SUSPENSE: The statement of the problem and then 
withholding the solution as long as possible. Mrs. 
Patterson happily puts it this way: “Suspense 
takes the form of a question, the answer of which 
is always out of reach.” Sometimes the question 
is what will happen and the result of a complica¬ 
tion, at other times it is tvhen will the thing happen 
which we know is going to happen. 

SWING: The turning of the camera from one posi¬ 
tion to another on the tripod, stopping the crank 
while the swing is made. It is to be distinguished 
from Panorama, where the camera does not stop 
cranking. 

SWITCH-BACK: The same as cut-back. 

SYNOPSIS—SHORT: Brief outline of the photo¬ 
play, usually in one or two hundred words. Its 
practical use is for advertising purposes, as well 
as letting the editor know the type or nature of 
the play. 

SYNOPSIS—DETAILED OR LONG: This is a full 
and complete narrative in the present tense of the 
action of the play, omitting locale and camera in¬ 
structions. It is usually written in from 3,000 to 
4,000 words. 


50 


TABLEAU: Placing the actors in a well balanced 
group temporarily in pose or at rest, to obtain a 
desired effect. The action is suspended for a brief 
time, so that the force of the arrangement of actors 
may have its full effect upon the audience. 

TECHNIQUE: The accepted rules or principles for 
the construction of the photoplay in proper form. 

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: The head of a depart¬ 
ment which sees that all sets, whether in the studio 
or on location, are constructed and dressed with 
fidelity to historical, geographical, scientific and 
artistic requirements. 

TELESCOPIC LENS: A long lens, which brings dis¬ 
tant objects nearer the camera. It is used for long- 
distance photography. 

THEME: The central idea or subject matter of the 
photoplay developed by the plot. 

THRILLS: This relates to the action and not to the 
sensation by the audience. It is defined chiefly as 
the startling dramatic action, bordering on the 
spectacular, the more dangerous the better. It 
often embraces the element of surprise. 

TIME LAPSE OR TIME ELAPSE: The method of 
informing the audience by sub-title, fade out and 
other devices of the length of time which passes 
between scenes. 

TINTING: Same as staining. 

TITLE: The most general application of this word 
is in words thrown on the screen, or written in the 
script to explain. The main title is the title of 































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51 

the play. All other words are loosely described 
under the word title. It would be better if the 
proper prefixes were used, such as sub-title, spoken 
title, explanatory title, etc. 

TONING: This is the very skillful process where the 
film is immersed in chemical baths to cause a reac¬ 
tion whereby the color of the silver deposits is 
changed. 

TOPICAL: A “News Reel.” The exhibition of some 
event of general or universal interest occurring in 
the present. 

TRACK-BACK: This describes the placing of the 
camera upon a platform with wheels, which wheels 
run on a small track or in grooves, and the moving 
of the camera away from the object which it is pho¬ 
tographing while the crank is still turning. 

TRACK-UP: This is just the reverse of the former. 

TRUCK-BACK: The same process as track-back, ex¬ 
cept that the wheels on which the platform travels 
may move in any direction away from the object. 
The wheels are not confined by grooves and tracks. 

TRUCK-UP: Is just the reverse, that is, moving the 
camera from a distance to a close-up while the 
crank is constantly turning. 

TRUE STORY: Included here because it is a thing 
to be avoided. True stories have a very limited 
appeal, and prevent the use of the imagination. 
They savor too frequently of the improbable, be¬ 
cause the author inevitably seizes upon something 
unusual, which is a stranger to common knowledge. 


52 


TURN: The operation of the crank of the camera to 
set the machinery of the camera in motion. 

UP-STAGE: Dragged over from the spoken stage be¬ 
cause that term has become a part of the lives of 
professional speaking stage actors. It should not 
be used in the photoplay. In its stead the term 
background is better. 

VIGNETTE: The softening or blurring of the edges 
of the picture on the screen by a mechanical device 
attached to the front of the lens. It gives a hazy 
appearance around the borders of the picture. 

VILLAIN: The antagonist, or the actor who portrays 
the evil or bad part in the play. More properly 
the man who attempts to prevent the hero from ac¬ 
complishing his desires. 

VISION: A picture within the picture, obtained by 
double exposure, to express what the actor is think¬ 
ing about, or a person, spectre, or ghost; this is 
properly called vision within the frame. There is 
another kind of a vision which is caused by a 
dissolve into what the actor is looking at, or what 
he recollects. The latter is sometimes called a 
recollection vision. 

VISUALIZE: The ability to describe as if the author 
actually saw things which in reality are not present 
to the senses. It is the creation of the brain 
child, or rather the ability so to create. 

WARDROBE DEPARTMENT: Where all costumes 
are provided, made and mended for the actors, ex¬ 
cept those which the actors provide for themselves. 
















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53 


WIDE ANGLE LENS: Used for photographing 
nearby objects. The curvature of the lens is so 
made that a larger angle of vision is obtained than 
by the ordinary lens. A wide angle lens will not 
permit the photographing of distant objects or 
objects just far enough away to be taken by the 
standard two or three-inch lens. 

WORK: What the actors please to call play; doing 
the acting. 

WORKING SCRIPT: An abbreviation of the conti¬ 
nuity made by the director to refresh his memory, 
or to use in photographing a particular or given 
part of the play, such as a day’s work on location, 
or a day’s work in the studio. This, of course, 
must conform to the continuity. 

WORKING TITLE: The title adopted by the manu¬ 
facturer or producer while he is making the play. 





























































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